Admiration Of The Caged Bird
by Scarlet Ari Murai Phoenix
Summary: ON HIATUS. She has always hated him for being perfect in everyones eyes. What will she do if she is in the same team as him? NejiXOc
1. Life As A Ninja

Scarlet: This is just a test run, if enough people review, I'll continue writting!

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Chapter 1: Life As A Ninja

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It was another boring day at Konoha academy...that was, until we heard,

"That's it! Thanks to Naruto here, you are all going to practice your Henge no Jutsu!"

I sighed, it had to be the work of that trouble maker in the other room. The one they call Uzumaki Naruto. Well, I don't know Naruto personally, but judging from what I have seen and heard, he's been causing trouble for the whole village. Maybe if I met him or spoken to him, I would have thought differently.

Oh, my name is Murai Ari. I am a student at Konoha Academy and was close to graduating. I have long black hair that glimmers red when in the sun and unusual red eyes and black pupils.

"Yuhi Murai Ari" our teacher, Takada-sensei shouted, gaining my attention, "Have you been listening to what I was saying for the past 10 minutes?"

"No..." I couldn't help the blush that was appearing on my face as most of the class snicker and gave looks

"People like you don't deserve to be a ninja" the boy beside me stated

Usually, I didn't mind what the class thought of me, it was just this one person that gets on my nerves all the time. The way he looks at you with those calm pupiless eyes and hard stare just makes you feel usless and afraid

"Okay, lets continue with our class session, and this time, please pay attention Murai. Your graduation exams are just tomorrow. You would not want to fail it" Takada-senei sighed

"Yes, Takada-sensei" I answered boredly

It's not that I want to fail, it's just that I have already learned all these things already. How? It's easy when your Onee-chan is a jounin in Konoha.

After about 30 minutes of sensei's boring lecture, we were finally excused and I quickly left before anyone could stop me.

"God, I hate him" I muttered as I walked home

"If you paid attention, there wouldn't have been any distractions" an annoying voiced sounded from behind me

"What do you want Hyuuga?" I growled turning to face the boy from my class.

Hyuuga Neji. Top rookie in our class and from the honorable Hyuuga clan. He was wearing his usual white jacket and black pants today with his bandages around his right leg and arms.

"Nothing. I just happen to pass by and heard your mumbling while walking home" he stated as he continued walking pass me

'Grr...I just hate him!' I glared at him before I too, walked the same way. Just about 50 steps behind him

"You know, Murai, you don;t have to walk behind me. I suppose you're good enough to walk next to me" he smirked

"And ruin your perfect reputation? No thank you, Hyuuga" I stated as I contiinued to walk behind him, if not farther.

As soon as I got to my house, I quickly left Hyuuga without saying a word as I opened the door and walked in

"Konnichiwa" I heard my sister greeting me as I locked the door shut

"Onee-chan!" Laughing I ran over to her and gave her a friendly hug

"How was school today?" she asked me as we walked to the kitchen

"Boring" I summed up my whole day in that one word

"I heard that the graduation exams are tomorrow. Eat dinner and make sure you get some rest. I have a mission" Onee-chan said as she headed for the door, "Bye"

"Bye, Onee-chan. Be safe!" I called to her as I got up to fix my dinner. Nothing special. Two Onigiris should do it. After eating, I took and shower and went to bed as my Onee-chan suggested.

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**Morning**

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I got up as my alarm started to annoy me. Quickly shutting it off, I got ready for school just as I remembered that the exams were today.

"Great..." I mummbled as I combed my hair. I was wearing a fishnet sleeved red top with a semi-high neck and a black skirt also with fishnets. I had on arm guards and my right goot was bandaged from above my ankle to below my knee. Tieing my hair up into a ponytail, I walked out my door just as someone else happened to pass by. Someone that I hadn't wanted to see.

"Murai" Hyuuga greeted

"Hyuuga" I answered

No more words were exchanged between us as we headed for the academy. It seems that my prediction was correct. Our graduation exam was to create 3 bushins of ourself.

"Okay class" Takada-sensei ordered, "Stand in a line and wait your turn"

Hyuuga was one of the first up there. As expected, he did it with perfection and recieved his hitai-ate (headband). When it was my turn, I walked up to the chuunin/ jounin obserbing us and stood quietly

"You may begin, Yuhi Murai Ari" one of them said

Without changing my expression, I went through the needed handseals and spoke clearly, "Kage Bushin no Jutsu"

3 shadow clones of myself appeared next to me.

"Shadow Clones?" one of the judge's eyes widen before handing me my hitai-ate, which I tied around my upper right thigh, "How can you perform such and advanced level jutsu?"

"Look at my name" I murmered before turning to walk away, "The clue is right there"

Before I could fully walk out of the class room, I heard some people whispered

'She is such a show-off!'

'She makes me mad sometimes'

"Don't blame me if you're jealous!" I shouted before walking home. They let the students go home early since it was to be their last day. Just before I left the school though, I saw someone sitting on the swings next to the school without a hitai-ate. Deciding that I had nothing else to do. I walked over to the guy as I heard all the other parents whispered

'Hey, isn't that the kid who-'

'Yeah, that's him. The only one who failed'

'Can you imagine if they let someone like that become a shinobi...?'

'LOSER...'

"Is that how you treat someone?" I glared at the adults

They only gave me a hateful look for going back to congradulating their sons/ daughters.

"Hey" I walked over to the kid

"Are you here to make fun of me too?" He muttered

"No way, of course not" I smiled, something that I don't normally do around people, "I know what it's like to feel worthless too. What's your name? Let's be friends!"

"Name's Uzumaki Naruto!" he held out his hand, "What's your name?"

"So you're Uzumaki Naruto. I heard that you painted the Hokage mountain heads" I laughed, "My name is Murai Ari"

"Nice to meet you Ari!" He began to smile and I returned it

"Sorry that I can't stay long, Naruto, I have to get home" I reached into my pocket and gave him a slip of paper, "You can have this though"

"FREE BOWL OF RAMEN AT ICHIRAKU! THANK YOU ARI-CHAN!" Naruto seemed to have taken a life pill because he sprung up and was jumping happily up and down.

"Bye Naruto!" I waved before going home. Tomorrow was when we have to meet our team and new teacher. Hopefully Hyuuga won't be in my team...

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Scarlet: So...please tell me what you think!


	2. Is This Really My Team

Scarlet: I thank all of you who took the time to actually review and show me that you like the story!

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Chapter 2: Is This Really My Team...

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I finally woke up when Onee-chan started to shake me real hard

"Wake up Ari!" Onee-chan shouted, "If you don't you'll be late for meeting your new sensei!"

"What!" I quickly flew out of bed and rushed through my morning routine. Tying my hair into a pony-tail I ran out the door without eating breakfast and rushed towards the Academy. On my way there, I saw Naruto happily skipping the same way I was going

"Morning Naruto" I jogged passed him and waved

"Ar...Ari-chan?" He quickly matched my pace as he ran next to me, "What's the hurry?"

"Sorry Naruto" I apologize, "I can't really talk right now. Takada-sensei is really strict with people being late and I'm already on his bad side. I don't want to get my new sensei mad too"

"Alright" He smiled, "Maybe I'll see you later"

"Okay!" I shouted before running all the way towards my classroom and sat down just as Takada-sesnsei came in

"So, Murai, did you wake up late this morning?" Hyuuga taunted and I tried to breathe

"I don't even want to fight with you today, Hyuuga" I stated, "After today, I won't even see you again for a long time"

"Quiet!" Takada-sensei shouted, "You will now be placed into a -man cell team. One group will have four concidering that the number of people in this class is not even"

'What are the chances that I'm with Hyuuga?' I smiled happily to myself, 'Maybe I'll get Tenten in my team. She's like the only one who doesn't mind me and actually talks to me. Also, her knowledge of weapons is pretty interesting'

"Okay, listen for your names" Takada-sensei started to list names and the people began to get paired off. "Group 9 (Correct me if I'm wrong) Rock Lee, Tenten..."

"Yes! Now I can show you my way of the shinobi!" Rock Lee had fires in his eyes as he clutched his fist

Rock Lee had bushy eye browes and a weird haircut. What I heard was that people made fun of his because he could not do any ninjutsu or genjutsu. Tenten had two buns on the side of her head and was wearing a pink chinese style shirt with green pants. She knew almost everything about shinobi weapons because her dad owns a weapon shop.

"Murai Ari" Takada continued

"Yay!" Tenten smiled happily from her seat infront of me, "We're on the same team!"

"Thank god" I smiled back, 'No Hyuuga. No Hyuuga. I love you god'

"And Hyuuga Neji" Takada-sensei finished

'WHY! Why must you do this to me! What have I ever done to you god! I take back what I just said. I hate you!' I couldn't stop myself from hitting my head on the desk multiple times.

"Ari, stop!" Tenten gasped, "You're gonna have a huge bruise"

"So, Murai, your plans of getting rid of me just back fired" Hyuuga smirked and I just glared at him

"You are to be here at four to meet your sensei" Takada-sensei explained, "For now, you are excused"

I got up and walked with Tenten to a quiet place to eat our lunch.

"Nya! I was so late today that I didn't get my lunch" I moaned as my stomach growled in hate

"Here, you can have some of mine" Tenten offered as she handed me an onigiri

"So Murai, forgot your lunch?" said a voice that I had not wanted to hear for a long time and Hyuuga appeared infront of us

"Stop it Neji" Tenten tried to help me

"Hyuuga, I propose a a truth. Since we are now on the same team, we can't act like this" I glared at him in defeat

"What Murai? Scared now?" he sat next to us on the stone steps

"I'm serious Neji!" I growled

"Fine, _Ari_" He growled out my name, "As long as you don't drag the team down"

"Deal" We shook hands before I realise what he had said, "Wait! What do you mean by me dragging the team down!"

"You are slow Ari" Tenten shook her head as Neji just smirked at me.

Neji...it feels strange calling him Neji after calling him Hyuuga for so long. Oh well, it'll take time. As the three of us ate quietly, Rock Lee appeared minutes later and told us that we were to meet our sensei.

"Come on" Neji stated os the four of us went back to the academy

'I wonder who our sensei is. After Hy-I mean Neji being place on the same team as me. I don't think there will be any other surprise that will shock me that bad' I thought to myself

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Scarlet: Please review!


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